I cannot believe I have not written about this before. So many women want to be able to test their hormones for imbalances, but either cannot get their doctor to do it, or cannot get it does as frequently as they would like. There is an online service called The Canary Club which provides at home saliva test kits to test for specific hormones. I was recommended this site by a thyroid doctor I had a phone consultation with, Dr. Richard Shames. Who by the way, was a wonderful, caring and understanding doctor. Sort of a rarity these days. I had consulted with him over my suspicions that my dosage of synthroid could be causing my extremely exacerbated state of hair loss far beyond my androgenetic alopecia. After looking over my previous test results he told me it would be fine to go back down to the dosage I was doing best on, which was 88mcg and that is the dosage I am on today. I am doing MUCH better at this level as opposed to the 112mcg.
I ordered the test from the company and it arrived shortly after. However, I still have not done the test, it has been sitting on my desk for quite some time now. I seem to never remember to take it during the times they specify, which they state in the instructions “Menstruating women should do this saliva sample testing on day nineteen, twenty or twenty-one of their cycle. Day one is the first day you notice bleeding” and I also drink coffee every morning which kills that day as a test day.
The test comes with a whole list of instructions on what to avoid on the day of the test.
Do Not Eat: chocolate, onion, garlic, cabbage, cauliflower/broccoli.
Do Not Drink: coffee, tea, or caffeinated drinks (ex.coke, guarana)
Do Not Use: sublingual hormones or troches as of the night before collection. Avoid antacids, bismuth medications or mouth washes.
According to my order panel form, it tests for: Progesterone, Testosterone, Estradiol, Cortisol 6am-8am, cortisol 11am-noon, cortisol 4pm-5pm, cortisol 10pm- midnight, DHEA+DHEA(s) pool, Free T4, Free T3, TSH, and Thyroid Antiboides
I think that is pretty amazing. I cannot tell you what the results look like when they come back because I have yet to send in my test. They don’t charge you when you order your test online, you send in payment when you mail back your saliva collection tubes. It is my understanding that you use use your login and password that you set up upon registration to log back in and view your results online. If you already have a good understanding of the what the numbers mean you can probably decipher and interpret was it means to you, otherwise you’ll probably still need to consult a doctor after receiving your test results. One final note, for all the New Yorkers, for some reason they are not able to process tests New York residents. The cost of the test according to my order form is $141.55, can’t beat that!
If it’s something you are interested in visit: http://www.canaryclub.org
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Just a heads up on saliva testing-
On some thyroid forums I have read that sex hormones i.e. testosterone, progesterone, estradiol, are not as accurate as blood testing. I am not sure how it stacks up with thyroid levels either. It might be able to provide some idea of where you stand but I think it is better to back up the sex hormones and thyroid levels with blood tests. I have heard that the saliva tests do provide an good assessment of your cortisol levels throughout the day but you have to make sure it is not a day your are stressed (what day aren’t we stress about our hair falling out??).
I have wanted to do the saliva testing for my adrenals but just haven’t gotten around to it…I probably should have before I started on thyroid meds since you are supposed to address adrenal issues then thyroid issues (guess they don’t teach that to the doctors in school!!). Let us know how your tests come out especially if you are having thyroid labs soon to check on your lowered dosage of synthroid to see how the saliva and blood tests compare!!
Marianne
Hi Guys! I was on this site a while ago and promised to come back if/when I found any hope for hair loss! My hair loss was a direct result of synthroid. After a 4-year crusade to find the cure/cause, I think I’m on to something and it’s not well known by docs. there are many of us that suffer from synthroid-related hair loss, but apparently not in concentrated numbers, or there would be an easier answer somewhere!
I found out that if you have low iron (my Ferritin was 23 – needs to be 70 – 90 to produce and keep hair). Also, low iron hurts your ability to convert t4 into the active t3 to get into the cells. Secondly, your adrenals need to be in great shape to support your thyroid. Mine were horrible. I switched to Cytomel, which is T3 only so no conversion necessary. Here’s what else I’m doing that seems to be working.
Cortef (for adrenal support): 10 mcg/day
Cytomel: 25 mcg/day
Iron: 36 mcg/day (WITH vitamin C)
Magnesium (500 mcg/day to help with constipation)
Eve. Primrose Oil
I really believe that it was either the low iron, the adrenals or a combination of both that caused this. Whenever I took the perscribed dose of synthroid, my hair would fall out in droves. If i backed off, it would slow down, but then I felt horrible. It was like my adrenals just couldn’t support that medication, so the body focused less on non-essential things such as hair growth and retention. I’ve read a lot about this on: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com
Check it out! I pray this is an answer for many of you! It seems to be working well for me- I haven’t felt this good in FOUR years!